


Guilty

by Gamma_Orionis



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Challenge: Camp Potter, Choices, Gift Fic, M/M, Morality, Wordcount: 100-500
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-11
Updated: 2013-06-11
Packaged: 2017-12-15 21:58:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/854462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gamma_Orionis/pseuds/Gamma_Orionis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Barty was so young. He was even younger than Regulus, much too young to be mixed up in the Death Eaters. Written for teddylupin-snape, and for History Appreciation for Camp Potter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Guilty

**Author's Note:**

> Written for teddylupin-snape for my two-year tumblrversary drabble giveaway. She requested Barty Jr/Regulus and the prompt "Regret".
> 
> Also for the second History Appreciation assignment for Camp Potter – _"write about Regulus Black"._

Barty was so  _young_.

He was even younger than Regulus, much too young to be mixed up in the Death Eaters. Regulus felt sorry for him every time he saw him, for he was sure that it simply couldn't be right for a boy who hadn't yet reached twenty years of age to be torturing and killing alongside people like Regulus's cousin Bellatrix.

But feeling sorry for someone and actually helping them were two entirely different matters.

Regulus couldn't try to be a hero for Barty's sake. He couldn't try to save him from the Death Eaters. If he did try, that would mean giving him up.

And he couldn't do that.

Guilt gnawed at him while he was in Barty's bed, kissing him and whispering how he adored him, but the guilt was never quite enough to induce him to say anything – anything like, "You shouldn't be a Death Eater, Barty. Let me take you away. You don't need to be here."

He thought it, but he could never say it.

It was selfish, and he regretted it when Barty fell asleep in his arms and looked so delicate and vulnerable and helpless.  _Poor thing, he's only a boy._

But he didn't regret it enough to help him.

)O(

_Fin_


End file.
